Instead of a cake or a small party this year, Lynne opted to go opulent on her birthday
and take up the wonderful winter special offered by Fyn in Parliament Street in the city centre -
lunch at one of our top and our favourite restaurants
The view of Church Square, Parliament Street and Lion's Head from our table
with the cranes used in rebuilding Parliament after the disastrous fire several years ago
A chilly late winter day with the promise of rain later
We love watching the open kitchen and all the industrious chefs preparing the delicious and visually beautiful food
The Menu
that we thought would go perfectly with the mixed courses. It certainly did.
The table setting is very oriental and the food is Japanese, fused with fresh local South African food
Bruwer Vintners excellent Grenache Rosé
Cape Point Tuna Fin to Tail. On the left, The freshest piece of red raw tuna loin we have ever eaten,
it was crisp and al dente to the palate, topped with spring onion
and accompanied by a sweet Cape Malay influenced chutney
We imagine that this is the rare, most expensive piece that buyers fight over in the Japanese fish markets
A treat to taste it.
The middle piece was slices of the pink tuna found more in sushi,
separated by sliced radish and the last was very clever, a pocket morsel the outside made from crisp fish skin,
with a white puréed (tail?) fish centre
and topped with a set caramel jelly, more like eating a pastry and quite delicious
A large Daikon radish was brought to the table.
Next course:
Seasonal Tempura. Tentsuyo
Tentsuyo is a Japanese dipping sauce for tempura made from Dashi, Soya, Mirin and a little sugar
Then the Daikon radish was grated into it. The radish was not has hot as we expected
The Tempura was slices of sweet potato and globe artichoke in its crisp airy batter
Also on the table was a small selection of pickled vegetables to add contrast and dimension, which they did
When we had dipped and eaten our tempura and pickles, a warm broth was brought to the table,
and added to the cup of remaining Tentsuyo, and we drank it. Delicious, comforting and surprising
Atlantic RIdge Kingklip
This course was outstanding. The Kingklip, South Africa's most caught fish
(much of it by boats from the far East & Europe, so it's in danger of being fished out here),
was super fresh and local (not from New Zealand) and was fried in butter
Set on a base of barley with black Tuge yam, lemon, ginger and confit tomatoes
and topped with Salty Fingers, a local seaside succulent. The buttery foam completed the dish
Cape Farms
Outiniqua Springbok . Prenia . Cepes
Tender pink springbok loin, topped with crisp cheese crumbs, set on barley, in a rich Buchu Jus, with cepe mushrooms
The shredded green Prenia pallens is an edible South African succulent (Mesembrianthemum)
grown on the coast of the Western Cape and used by farmers and ancient foragers for millenia
An apple purée and tiny scattered cubes of fresh apples
John's dish was similarly great but sans any mushrooms
Table decoration - Ornamental kale paired with a trailing spekboom
both edible, but we didn't want to spoil the beauty
Coastal Winds
Mostert's Mill Grain Beer . Cape Citrus . Lemon Buchu
Dessert of a double malt chocolate Bavoire, tasting of (Murphy's Irish) stout, with a shot of lemon in the centre
Served in a crisply crunchy brown butter tuile with very moreish Brown Butter Ice cream and orange jellies. More please
Medicinal Fynbos
Buchu . Cape Mountain Sage
Tucked into some gnarled wood roots were good flavoured Guava and yogurt Fruit Loops
and cubes of a peanut, caramel and chocolate "lunch bar"
And a Happy Birthday! Very unexpected and appreciated, with the last course they brought Lynne a birthday candle
on a white chocolate covered lemon cheesecake with black sesame and gold leaf!
Your staff are fantastic, polite, attentive and friendly. Real Michelin level service. We will start saving for next time
All the stories we have produced since 2012
can be opened from the archive list near the top of the column on the right of this page
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